Jump to content

Welcome to RennTech.org Community, Guest

There are many great features available to you once you register at RennTech.org
You are free to view posts here, but you must log in to reply to existing posts, or to start your own new topic. Like most online communities, there are costs involved to maintain a site like this - so we encourage our members to subscribe or donate. All subscriptions and donations go to the costs operating and maintaining this site. We prefer that guests take part in our community and we offer a lot in return to those willing to join our corner of the Porsche world. This site is 99 percent member supported (less than 1 percent comes from advertising) - so please consider an annual subscription or donation to keep this site running.

Here are some of the features available - once you subscribe RennTech.org

  • View Classified Ads
  • DIY Tutorials
  • Porsche TSB Listings (limited)
  • VIN Decoder
  • Special Offers
  • Paint Codes
  • Registry
  • Videos System
  • View Reviews
  • and get rid of this welcome message

It takes just a few minutes to register, and it's quality Porsche information at a low cost.

Contributing Members also get these additional benefits:
(you become a Contributing Member by subscribing or donating money to the operation of this site)

  • No ads - advertisements are removed
  • Access the Contributors Only Forum
  • Contributing Members Only Downloads
  • Send attachments with PMs
  • All image/file storage limits are substantially increased for all Contributing Members
  • Option Codes Lookup
  • VIN Option Lookups (limited)

JFP in PA

Moderators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    8,867

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    214

 Content Type 

Everything posted by JFP in PA

  1. JFP in PA
    Tis the season for batteries to start crapping out. Have the battery fully charged and load test it, also check the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Most auto parts stores will do the load test for free if you lack the necessary equipment.
  2. JFP in PA
    First of all, your car should have a “normal” parasitic draw of 40-60 mA with everything off and the key out of the ignition (a common testing mistake), and you are obviously way over that. That said, you should also note that some systems stay active for a short period after the car is first switched off, so you sometimes need to let it sit for a short period before testing. Try letting the car sit for a bit, key out, and try the current draw test (ammeter between the disconnected + battery cable). I am also circumspect about the alternator voltage, 13.8V seems a bit low. Could just be a voltage regulator on the way out, but could also be corrosion on the battery cable ends, an easy DIY fix. You may want to have both the battery load tested and the alternator tested (in the US, most auto parts stores will do this for free). If the voltage regulator is going bad, you can buy a replacement from any VW or Mercedes dealership; they use the same part number and are much cheaper than Porsche for the same part.
  3. JFP in PA
    If memory serves, ther was a TSB on the 996 for ground wire corrosion issues, you might want to start there as a bad ground will make the car hard to start when hot and reduce the battery charge as well. The ground cables can be tested for resistance with a multimeter.
  4. JFP in PA
    The article has merit as the plastic impeller blades in the pumps tend to degrade and break up over time, spreading plastic bits into the cooling system that create local hot spots long before the pump itself starts to crap out.
  5. JFP in PA
    Interesting comment, I've never seen a multimeter that did not do DC; we currently have four different brands (and price point) meters in the shop, they all do DC.........
  6. JFP in PA
    The P0455 code is for a problem with the tank pressure sensor measurment, usually a classic "bad or missing" gas cap code. I could also be other EVAP ventilation system lines leaking, but I would get rid of the aftermarket cap first......
  7. JFP in PA
    If the 0301 code was the only one, it will go out by itself with enough driving. You could also take it to one of the auto parts stores advertising free use of a scanner and clear it as well.
  8. JFP in PA
    Glad to be of help................
  9. JFP in PA
    When the AOS fails, the vacuum level jumps from around 5 inches of water at the oil fill cap at idle to over 20 inches. If you do not have the equipement to check this, and the cap is very difficult to nearly impossible to get off at an idle, you need an AOS. The fact that you are also seeing smoke is a second indication. Do the AOS and be done with it before it totally craps out and strands you, or worse..............
  10. JFP in PA
    Simple Green has a published pH of 9.5-10, hardly "pH balanced".............
  11. JFP in PA
    While Loren is spot on about the codes, I can say that we have not found an aftermarket gas cap that works as well as the OEM units. Eventually, the Stants and other major brands tend to start throwing codes associated with vacuum leaks in the fuel vapor recovery system. We had several customers replace the OEM caps with aftermarket locking units, all of which eventually started to throw codes. Putting on an new OEM unit fixed the problem. Get the codes read and report back, if it is one of the codes associated with a gas cap leak, getting the OEM unit is a cheap, easy, and near permanent fix.............
  12. JFP in PA
    You have to be very careful about the pH of the wheel cleaners you use as they can really tear up the clear coat on the wheels if you use the wrong thing. P21S has a long standing reputation for both cleaning the wheels and not damaging the clear coat.
  13. JFP in PA
    "...and he said the discs were copies of the original Porsche ones" seems to sum it all up.....................
  14. JFP in PA
    We do not use anything but the OEM pumps; the aftermarket units have proven to be too unreliable. Sunset should be able to set you up with a good deal on the OEM unit, ask for Jeff in parts. The lot temp thermostat is a great upgrade to do at the same time, we have use the LN Engineering version with great results.
  15. JFP in PA
    First, let me say that listening to sound clips has proven to be the least useful way to diagnose these problems. With both the quality and volume all over the place, it becomes very hard to discern any useful information. We have had customers email us sound clips, only to find something completely different from our analysis of the sound clip when the car arrived at the shop. The best way to check out what is making the noise is to pull the cover behind the seats and remove the serpentine belt, then rotate each component looking for noise, wobble, or other signs of distress. Quite often, if the water pump is on the way out, you will find evidence of a slight leak from the vent hole under the pump as well.
  16. JFP in PA
    Anytime; you will find that this stuff is an excellent general purpose "squeak stopper". We always keep a couple cans around the shop.
  17. JFP in PA
    A better suggestion: DuPont spray dry teflon coating: Cost about $8 a can, sold by everyone from Amazon to Lowes. Leaves a true Teflon coating that does not attract dirt and does not bother plastic parts. We even use this stuff on sticky starter Bendix drives, works like a charm.
  18. JFP in PA

    tool

    JFP in PA replied to coleta's topic in Workshop Tools

    It is the Snap-On tool, well made and very durable, if a bit pricey (and what isn't from Snap-On):
  19. JFP in PA
    Most of the main harness is a single unit, meaning you cannot buy just one section of it. If the wire insulation is intact, you could just rewrap the harness with electrical tape. If the wire insulation itself is gone, you may have to do some splicing with new wire to correct this.
  20. JFP in PA
    Yes, it will work. As long as the Airlift unit is above the fluid level in the tank, there is no danger of it pulling out coolant.
  21. JFP in PA
    P1576 is a cruise control fault code, I somehow doubt that stopped your car. Are you sure you have the correct code number?
  22. JFP in PA
    Possible ignition switch, common problem.
  23. JFP in PA
    You need to consider OEM oil “recommendations” with a grain of salt; quite often, the oil weights and types they select are a lot more self-serving to the OEM than designed to protect the new owner’s investment. The oil weight you see being specified is often based more on its impact on the OEM’s CAFÉ ratings; this is why you see 0W-20 oils becoming more commonplace in street cars like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Not that long ago, 10W-X weight oils were standard fare for use in arctic and near artic conditions, but suddenly now you need 0W-X oils for use in Miami, Houston, and LA. Similarly, the move away from ZDDP additives “to protect the catalytic converters” is more related to the fact that the EPA had the OEM’s on the hook to warranty the cats for 8 years or 80,000 miles.
  24. JFP in PA
    ZDDP is an excellent anti wear additive for any type of engine. And, yes, the OEM's are pushing to have it reduced/eliminated because it can shorten the life of the cats. In reality, however, they are not doing this because they have suddenly developed a "environmentally concerned conscience", they are doing it because the EPA has the OEM on the hook to warranty the cats for 8 years or 80,000 miles, and cats are expensive. As a car owner, your tradeoff is to run a high ZDDP oil and risk the cats going sooner (which is speculative), or running low or non ZDDP oils and suffering engine wear that only shows up after the warranty is gone. You also need to remember that you can crawl under the car and replace your cats with some simple hand tools; but rebuilding your engine is going to require a bit more equipment and dollars..........
  25. JFP in PA
    If memory serves, the plug should be swapped out at 60k miles or every four years on your model, so you are "past due". Changing plugs early also never hurts as they are a “wear item”. As for plug types, the OEM plugs are pretty good units, but we have also had excellent results from Denso Iridium’s on several cars, just be sure you get the correct heat range to match the factory plugs (Denso IK20 for your car).
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.